Manufacturing process for wooden base window and door frames, and the frames manufactured by means of the process

ABSTRACT

Assembly of the frames includes making wooden base frames using metal corner-brackets ( 16 ), straps ( 18 ) or other traction-resistant elements or through-screws passing obliquely through corners of the frames, resulting in easy assembly and dismounting of the frames for varnishing, maintenance, replacement or other purposes, and also includes a simplified manufacturing process of the wooden components in order to cut linear transversal profile housings ( 15 ) for housing metal or PVC elements destined to be coupling components between fixed and mobile games and guaranteeing necessary seals and heat insulation. The process is suitable, among other things, for manufactured and assembly of large flames.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a manufacturing process for wood and aluminium,or PVC flames, or frames made of other materials.

The invention also concerns the frames made using the process.

BACKGROUND ART

For some time now the prior art, quite apart from the traditional woodenor aluminium frames, has taught and placed on the market developments offrames comprising components made of both the above-mentioned materials,i.e. the parts of the frame directed internally of the building are madeof wood while the parts facing outwards are made of aluminium.

The main aim of this technology is to combine the beauty and “warmth” ofwood with the efficiency and high resistance to atmospheric wear ofaluminium. The new frame technology is characterised by two largecategories, depending on whether the basic element of die resultingstructure is made of one or the other of the two materials.

Where the structure is made of wood and external aluminium protection isthen applied thereto, a category which can be termed “wood-aluminium” isdefined, whereas where the bearing structure is made of aluminium, towhich wooden cladding is applied, another category which can be termed“aluminium-wood” is defined.

Frames belonging to the “wood-aluminium” category are basically obtainedusing traditional wooden frame principles; they are specially shaped andglued to form the base structure of the frame, whether this is inrelation to a fixed frame, a wall, or to a mobile window or door withrespect to a fixed frame. The wooden elements of the structures are alsosubject to mechanical operations, made using specific tools to obtainthe details and special shaping required for fitting together with thealuminium protection elements.

Frames made using the above methods are certainly better protected fromweathering with respect to traditional wooden frames, but involveincreased production costs due to the expensive tools needed, themachinery necessary for creating the special elements, and also becauseof the level of waste associated with the above-mentioned workoperations.

Frames produced using the “aluminium-wood” approach are alsocharacterised by high production costs, largely because production withaluminium technology is more expensive than with wood technology, butalso because then wood has to be added to the internal side of theframes. To make matters worse, the end product still has a “mechanical”rather than the “warm” aspect one would traditionally associate withwood.

DE-A-7000649 discloses “A manufacturing process for wood and aluminiumwindow and door frames or frames made of PVC or other materials,comprising the stage of:

-   -   working of solid wood or wood-panel components to create housing        with linear transversal shaped for housing metal elements, or        PVC elements;    -   assembly of tie above-mentioned components to create fixed and        mobile frames, the assembly being done by joining the        cross-pieces and the uprights of the frames using metal corner        brackets positioned at the four corners of the frames, and        straps or other elements which resist traction, stretched about        the frames;    -   fixture with screw means of the metal or PVC elements (7) in the        housing made in the internal sides of the fixed frames and the        external frames of the mobile frames;    -   application to the fixed and mobile frames of hinges seals and        other mechanical components destined to grarantee closure,        opening and in general good functioning of the frames”.

DE-U-9308539 discoses a joint for union of cross-pieces and uprights.comprising a tension-rod between movable blocks.

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a manufacturingprocess for frames in wood and aluminium, or PVC or other materials,which employs simpler machinery and results in lower production costswith respect to present processes.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a manufacturing process forobtaining wood and aluminium, PVC or other material frames which areeasy to assemble and just as easily dismounted, so that assembly can bedone at the workplace, as well as repairs, maintenance or replacement ofcomponents.

A further aim of the invention is to provide wood and aluminium, or PVCor other material frames which are aesthetically of high quality butwhich at the same time offer the best possible characteristics ofsealing, heat insulation and functional reliability.

The above aims and more besides are achieved with a manufacturingprocess of frames made of wood and aluminium, PVC or other materials,which includes the following stages:

-   -   working of solid wood or wood-panel components to create        housings with linear transversal shapes for housing metal        elements, or PVC elements;    -   assembly of the above-mentioned components to create fixed and        mobile frames, the assembly being done by joining the        cross-pieces and the uprights of the frames using metal        corner-brackets, positioned at the four corners of the frames,        and straps, or other elements which resist traction, stretched        about the frames;    -   fixture with screw means of the metal or PVC elements, in the        housings made in the internal sides of the fixed frames and the        external frames of the mobile frames,    -   application to the fixed and mobile frames of hinges, seals and        other mechanical components destined to guarantee closure,        opening and in general good functioning of the frames.

The assembly of the wooden components for realising the fixed and mobileframes of the frames is performed using metal corner-brackets andthrough-screws arranged obliquely in the corners of the frame.

The housings for the metal elements are transversally L-shaped and madeby performing longitudinal cuts with disc saws.

The process of the invention also involves the application of externalaluminium (or PVC) protection guards, terminal sides of which arepressure-fitted between the metal elements and the wooden frame, orbetween the window glass frames and the wooden frames.

The frames obtained using the above process exhibit high aestheticqualities thanks to the use of solid wood, or panels, for thecomposition of the structures of the fixed and mobile frames. They arealso made at relatively contained costs with respect to the framespresently under production, as they do not require the use of complextools or special machine tools for carrying out the work operations toproduce the wooden components. The work operations involved produce,among other things, and differently to what occurs at present,rectangular wooden rods or fillets which can be re-used as window glassframes or uprights or cross-pieces for smaller-sized frames. The framesobtained also exhibit the special and advantageous characteristic ofbeing assembled with removable means and components, so that ifnecessary they can be dismounted, each component of the frame beingre-mountable; this leads to enormous savings in maintenance and repaircosts.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

These and other characteristics and advantages of the present inventionwill better emerge from the detailed description that follows of apreferred but non-exclusive embodiment of the invention, illustratedpurely in the form of a non-exclusive and non-limiting example in theaccompanying figures of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a frame obtained according to themanufacturing process of the invention;

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b are two detailed views of a part of a frame accordingto the invention;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are sectioned views relating to three possibleembodiments of frames according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a section performed along line VII-VII of following FIG. 7,concerning a part of another frame obtainable according to themanufacturing process of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a section made according to line VII-VII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of part of a frame made according to afurther embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a median section of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a section made according to line XI-XI of following FIG. 11,relating to a part of a further embodiment of a frame made according tothe invention;

FIG. 11 is a section made according to line X-X of FIG. 10.

With reference to FIG. 1, 10 denotes a frame of a mobile door of a frameduring a manufacturing stage. The frame is composed of two uprights 11,12 and two cross-pieces, 13 and 14, having an L-shaped transversalprofile 15, assembled using metal corner brackets 16 which are arrangedat the four corners of the frame, and a strap 17, made of metal andtightened about the uprights and cross-pieces using known methods.

FIG. 2 a illustrates a strap 18 which can be stretched between two ends19, 20 of a threaded pivot 21, arranged obliquely at the corner of theframe 10′ and exerting a traction of adequate intensity on the two sidesof the corner, achieving a perfect coupling of the two components 11′and 13′ of the frame, thanks to the combined action of the pivot 21, thecorner bracket 16 and the strap 18.

A different solution for obtaining the blocking of each single corner ofthe frame 10′ is illustrated in FIG. 2 b. Here a threaded pivot 21′ isused, arranged obliquely between the two sides of the corner, togetherwith a corner bracket 16′ the ends of which are constrained to pivots51, 52, which can slide in small housings 53, 54, entirely lodged incavities therefor afforded in the wooden components 11′, 13′, at ends19′, 20′ of the pivot 21′. After having fixed the pivot 21′ to the twohousings 53, 54, with the help of perforated cylinders 55, 56, similarlyused in the previous embodiment, the corner bracket 16′ is positionedand the ends thereof constrained to the pivots 51 52, thus completingthe assembly of the corner of the frame 10′ by exerting a traction forceon the pivots by means of the screws 57, 58 interacting between thehousings 53, 54 and two slidable support shelves 59, 60, of the pivotswith respect to the housings 53, 54. The housings 53, 54 comprise slots61, 62 for passage of the pivot 21′ with full freedom of movement, so asto enable easy assembly of the frame even where there may be someconstructional differences in the components to be assembled. Before theabove-mentioned coupling is done, the glass pane 22 is inserted in theframe 10. The pane 22 can be inserted, for example, in a groove 23channelled on the internal side of the uprights and the cross-pieces.

According to the process of the invention, the metal elements forguaranteeing perfect sealing and insulation from the outside are mountedon the external sides of the uprights and cross-pieces; as, for example,illustrated in FIG. 3. A metal element 24 is applied to the upright 11,exactly superposed on the strap 17; the element 24 fits flush against asecond element 25 applied on the upright of the fixed frame 26, to whichthe mobile frame 10 is rotatably constrained by a hinge 27.

The housing 28 for the metal elements in the fixed frame 26 exhibits avery linear transversal conformation; this too is L-shaped and isarranged symmetrically to the other housing 15 exhibited in the mobileframe 10. This considerably simplifies the work needing to be done onthe wood components of the frames, as the above housings can befashioned with longitudinal cuts made using simple disc saws.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 also illustrates a guard 29, 29′ made ofaluminium for protecting the surfaces of the frame facing the outside ofthe building. The protection is constrained to the frame by constrainingthe contacting edges between the metal elements and the wooden frame. Inparticular, with reference to the guard 29 of the fixed frame 26, wenote that one terminal edge only of the guard is constrained between theelement 25 and the wooden frame 26, while the other terminal edge is incontact with the structure 30, to which the fixed frame. 96 is anchored.The guard 29′ of the mobile frame 11 is constrained to the frame byconstraining one of the edges thereof between the element 24 and thewooden frame 11 and constraining the other edge thereof between theglass pane 22 and the frame 11 itself.

FIG. 4 illustrates the contact zone between two mobile window frames,10, 40, 10 of the frame of the invention. The upright 12 of the frame 10is exactly opposite the other upright 11 of the frame 10, illustrated inFIG. 3. A metal element 31 is constrained, using screws, to the upright12; the metal element 31 is also superposed over the strap 17 joiningthe frame 10, and is conformed such as to join exactly with the metalelement 32, constrained to the mobile window frame 40. The metal element32 also includes a surface 33 which faces externalwise and on which awooden strip 34 is removably applied.

The strip 34 can be taken from the upright 12 or 11 if the latter aresubjected to reworking for obtaining the housings 15, 35 of the elements24, 31.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4. In this case, however, a complete thermalinsulation between outside and inside is achieved, thanks to the factthat with the metal elements used, differently to what has beendescribed up to now, there is no physical continuity between inside andoutside. Even a slight continuity can lead to thermal transmissionbetween die two sides of the frame. There can be no transmission here,because the elements 35, 36 and 37, in contact with the outsideenvironment, are connected to each other by non-metallic connectingelements 41. The heat insulation is completed by specially-shaped rubberseals 46, 47 inserted between the various elements.

In this case too the mobile frames 42, 43 of the frame are assembledusing straps 44; 45, made of metal tape, and the housings for the metalelements exhibit a very linear and simplified transversal profile.

Also, instead of the metal straps other traction-resistant elementscould be used, such as, for example, steel wire, polyester tapes,propylene, carbon fibre and other materials.

Whatever material used, the advantages of the present invention remainevident, relating to cost of production of the frames and the specialdismountable characteristic offered. It is also evident that thecharacteristics remain the same even where some modifications andvariations are applied.

More generally, each joint for union of elements to be used ascross-pieces 130 and uprights 110 can preferably comprise: at least onejoint pivot 210 having a tension-rod function, housed snugly andcoaxially inside a cylindrical housing 200 predisposed in a coupledcross-piece 130 and upright 110; at least one block 530, 540, forinteracting with means which are associable to the ends of the jointpivot 210 for placing the tension-rod in a state of tension. The block530, 540 is predisposed to be snugly housed in cavities 250 afforded inthe cross-piece 130 and the upright 110.

In particular the block 530 is shaped so as to restore the shape of theelement, cross-piece 130 or upright 110 when housed in the relativecavity 250 in which the cavity 250 is afforded. At a surface thereoffacing externally, the block 530 exhibits portions 510 and 520 of partsor wings of the element, cross-piece 130 or upright 110, so that wheninserted in the cavity 250 the parts or wings are not discontinuous overthe whole length of the element in which the cavity 250 is afforded. Ifthe element, cross-piece 130 or upright 110 does not exhibit these partsor wings (as in the sides which are brought into contact with orinserted in a wall) the housing 540 is externally cylindrical andstraight with the two parallel flat bases offering holed housings forhousing the ends of the joint pivot 210. Means of known type for placingthe tension bar under tension are provided at the ends of the jointpivot 210. Normally the means comprise screws 300 with which aninteraction can be activated between the ends of the joint pivot 210 andthe blocks 530, 540 which enable the joint pivot 210 to be placed undertension. The interpositioning of Belleville washers 350 keeps thetension load practically constant.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11 the joint is realised using asingle block 530, located on the upright 110 since the second end of thejoint pivot 210 is threaded and predisposed to screw into a nutpredisposed in a pin 550 inserted in a housing afforded on thecross-piece 130.

In each case the blocks 530 and 540 exhibit the characteristic of beingdelimited by a straight circular cylindrical surface which is speciallydimensioned to enable a snug housing thereof in the cavities or thecylindrical housings 250 afforded in the cross-pieces and the uprights110. The simplicity of the shapes and the extreme design simplicity (inparticular the cavities 250) means that manufacturing work on theelements as well as assembly are extremely simple and rapid.

The joining process of the invention also means that wooden profilesmade not of solid wood but also of glued-shaving wood elements(chipboard) with various types of wood can also be used, clad withveneer in the on-view parts and with other protective materials (PVC,steel, aluminium etc) in slender sheets in the parts, for example,destined to be exposed to atmospheric agents.

The dimensions of the frames can certainly vary extremely flexibly, asthe use of uprights and cross-pieces made of wood with large-sizetransversal sections involves no change in the manufacturing processes,the machine tools and machinery used.

The elements could obviously be made of PVC or steel, as could theprotection guards applied on the external surfaces of the frame.

The shape of the elements and the seals comprised therein can obviouslybe changed according to application.

1-11. (canceled)
 12. A manufacturing process for wood and aluminiumwindow and door frames, or frames made of PVC or other materials,comprising stages of: working of solid wood or wood-panel components tocreate housings with linear transversal shapes for housing metalelements, or PVC elements; assembly of the above-mentioned components tocreate fixed and mobile frames, the assembly being done by joining thecross-pieces and the uprights of the frames using metal corner-brackets,positioned at the four corners of the frames, and straps, or otherelements which resist traction, stretched about the frames; fixture withscrew means of the metal or PVC elements, in the housings made in theinternal sides of the fixed frames and the external frames of the mobileframes; application to the fixed and mobile frames of hinges, seals andother mechanical components destined to guarantee closure, opening andin general good functioning of the frames, wherein the assembly of thewooden components for making fixed and mobile frames is done by joiningthe cross-pieces (13′) and the uprights (11′) of the frames (10′) withuse of metal corner-brackets (16), threaded pivots (21) positionedobliquely at corners of the frame, and straps (18) stretched between twoends (19, 20) of the threaded pivots (21) in such a way as to exert atraction on two sides of the corner of an intensity which obtains aperfect join of the cross-pieces (13′) and the uprights (11′) formingthe corner.
 13. The manufacturing process for frames of claim 12,wherein the assembly of the wooden components for realising the fixedand mobile frames is done by joining the cross-pieces (13′) and theuprights (11′) of the frames (10′) with the use of threaded pivots (21)passing obliquely at corners of the frame, and corner-brackets (16′)ends of which are constrained to pivots (51, 52) which are slidable withrespect to housings (53, 54) lodged entirely in cavities afforded in thecross-pieces (13′) and in the uprights (11′) at positions correspondingto ends (19′, 20′) of the threaded pivot (21′); traction being exertedby means of screws (57, 58) interacting between the housings (53, 54)and supports (59, 60) of the pivots (51, 52), which traction guaranteesan exact corner coupling of the cross-pieces (13′) and the uprights(11′).
 14. The manufacturing process for frames of claim 13, wherein thehousings (15, 28, 35) of the metal elements (24, 25, 31) aretransversally L-shaped and are created by cutting wooden components (11,26, 12) of the frames (10) in a longitudinal direction.
 15. Themanufacturing process of any claim 12, comprising an application ofexternal protection guards (29, 29′) made of aluminium or PVC, bypressure-constraining the guards (29, 29′) between the metal elementsand the wooden frame, or between the window glass frame channels and thewooden frames.
 16. Wooden and aluminium frames, or PVC frames or framesmade of another material, comprising: frames made of solid wood or woodin panel form, assembled by joining cross-pieces and uprights of theframes, with use of metal corner-brackets, positioned at four corners ofthe frames, and straps, or other elements which are resistant totraction, stretched about the frames; housings with linear transversalprofiles afforded in the wooden frames for housing metal or PVCelements; metal or PVC elements fixed by means of screws to fixed andmobile frames of the frames, respectively in housings made in internalsides of the fixed frames and in external sides of the mobile frames;hinges, seals and other mechanical components for guaranteeing closure,opening and operation of the frames, said frames comprising fixed framesand mobile frames, assembled together by joining cross-pieces (13′) anduprights (11′) of the frames (10′) with use of metal corner-pieces (16),threaded pivots(21) passing obliquely at corners of the frame, andstraps (18) stretched between two ends (19, 20) of the threaded pivots(21) in such a way as to exert a traction on two sides of the corner ofan intensity which obtains a perfect join of the cross-pieces (13′) andthe uprights (11′) forming the corner.
 17. The frames of claim 16,comprising fixed frames and mobile frames assembled by joining thecross-pieces (13′) and the uprights (11′) of the frames (10′) with theuse of threaded pivots (21) passing obliquely at corners of the frame,and corner-brackets (16′) ends of which are constrained to pivots (51,52) which are slidable with respect to housings (53, 54) lodged entirelyin cavities afforded in the cross-pieces (13′) and in the uprights (11′)at ends (19′, 20′) of the pivot (21′); traction being exerted by meansof screws (57, 48) interacting between the housings (53, 54) andsupports (59, 60) of the pivots (51, 52), which traction guarantees anexact corner coupling of the cross-pieces (13′) and the uprights (11′).18. A joint for union of elements to be used as cross-pieces (130) anduprights (110) comprising: at least one joint pivot (210) having atension-rod function, housed snugly and coaxially inside a cylindricalhousing (200) predisposed in a reciprocally-coupled cross-piece (130)and an upright (110); at least one block (530, 540), for interactingwith means which are associable to the ends of the joint pivot (210) forplacing the tension-rod in a state of tension; said means normallycomprising screws 300 with which an interaction can be actuated betweenthe ends of the joint pivot 210 and the blocks 530, 540 which enable thejoint pivot 210 to be placed under tension; the block (530, 540) beingpredisposed to be snugly housed in cavities (250) afforded in thecross-piece (130) and the upright (110); the block (530, 540) beingshaped in such a way as to restore the shape of the element, cross-piece130 or upright (110) when housed in the relative cavity (250) in whichthe cavity (250) is afforded.
 19. The joint of claim 18, wherein themeans associable to the ends of the joint pivot (210) for realising thetensioning of the joint pivot (210) comprise screws (300).
 20. The jointof claim 19, wherein the block (530, 540) is delimited by a straightcircular cylindrical surface dimensioned in order to afford a snughousing thereof in the cavities located in the cross-piece (130) and theupright (110).